


The Strong and the Weak

by romeoandjulietyouwish



Series: Lis Writes 9-1-1 [44]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Love, M/M, Post-Episode: s03e15 Eddie Begins, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:14:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25884166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/romeoandjulietyouwish/pseuds/romeoandjulietyouwish
Summary: Prompt: Believing in you even when you couldn’t do it yourself
Relationships: Evan “Buck” Buckley & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Series: Lis Writes 9-1-1 [44]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1725208
Comments: 3
Kudos: 61





	The Strong and the Weak

**Believing in you even when you couldn’t do it yourself**

Eddie blinks his eyes open to darkness and a heaviness in his lungs. He gasps for breath and reaches around, but all he can feel is cold. He’s back underground. 

“Diaz!” Someone’s voice comes crackling over his radio. “Diaz, sound off!” 

He fumbles for his radio quickly, “It’s-It’s Diaz...I-I...” He can’t find the words to say what’s going on and his lungs are so tight. 

“Eddie?” It’s Buck. He can feel himself relax slightly at the sound of his voice. “You need to breathe.”

“I can’t...the-the water.”

“There is no water, Eddie. We’re nowhere by any water. I need you to listen to me, we know where you are but it’s too dangerous for any of us to come get you so I’m going to guide you to me, okay?” 

“Okay,” Eddie tries as hard as he can to take a deep breath.

“Look around you, do you see any way to get out of the space you’re in?” Buck asks. If Eddie weren’t so distracted, he could hear the worry and concern disguised by a clearly faux calm.

“Buck...I...” Eddie flounders for a moment. It’s so dark and he’s trapped and- “I don’t think I can...” 

“Eddie.” 

Eddie forces himself to take a deep breath and looks around, shifting slightly. “I-I can’t see the way out. It’s dark and-and cold.” 

“There is a way out, Eddie,” Buck’s voice comes over the radio. “I can guide you out, but you need to calm down first, okay? You’re not underground. It’s not cold. Take your glove off and touch the wall, what do you feel?” 

Eddie does as he says and shakily takes his glove off. He tentatively reaches out and touches the pad of his fingers to the walls surrounding him. To his surprise, what he touches isn’t cold mud or water, it’s rough stone.

“Stone,” Eddie replies after a moment. “Brick. 

“That’s good, Eddie,” Buck assures him. “You’re inside a building. Okay, it’s going to be really dark, but I’m going to help you through. Now, I need you to crawl to the right, keeping your head down.”

Eddie tries to move and bumps his shoulder into a wall, suddenly remembering the small space underground, hitting his legs and head and shoulder on the mud as he tried to escape. “Buck, I can’t...I can’t.” 

“You can,” Buck’s voice is more forceful now. “You have to, Eddie. I’m going to be right here the whole time, helping you. You can do this, Eddie.” 

Eddie takes a shaky breath. “Okay. Where do I go?” Buck’s calm voice slowly guides him out of the building, talking him through each turn and movement, Eddie fighting back a panic attack with every breath. He fights back the memories of being trapped underground, a hundred feet below his friends, screaming for help. 

The dust is so thick that Eddie can hardly see ten feet in front of him. Then all of a sudden he breaks through and he is hit by daylight. Gasping a breath of relief as he emerges from the building, Eddie takes off his helmet, letting it fall to the ground. 

“Eddie!” 

Suddenly, Buck is in front of him, gently brushing away the dust on his face, eyes scanning him carefully. Eddie doesn’t stop himself from falling into his partner’s arms. Normally they try to avoid PDA at work, but after the day he’s had, all Eddie wants is comfort. He feels like all of the energy has been wrung out of him.

Buck gently lowers the two of them to the ground, “Are you hurt?” Eddie shakes his head. Out of the corner of his eye, Eddie can see people moving around, talking, and asking questions but Eddie just closes his eyes. He focuses on Buck’s arms tight around him and takes a deep breath.

At home later that night while they’re lying in bed, Eddie hums softly as Buck runs his fingers through his hair. “Thank you for helping me today,” Eddie says into Buck’s chest. “I don’t think I would have been able to get out if you hadn’t been there.” 

“Don’t say that,” Buck chastizes as he tightens his arms around Eddie. “You are so strong, you would have done it. I just gave you a little push.”

Eddie waits a beat before admitting, “I don’t feel very strong.” He lifts his head off of Buck’s shoulder to look him in the eye, “Anyone else would have been able to make it out, no big deal.” He shakes his head. “I feel so _weak_.”

Buck sighs in understanding. “I know.” In the moment of silence, Eddie puts his head back down on Buck’s chest and Buck lightly runs his fingers up and down his arm. “I love you and I know it doesn’t mean anything, but I think you are incredibly strong and brave and anything but weak.”

“That means a lot,” Eddie assure him. “I just don’t know if I believe it yet.” 

Buck smiles and presses a kiss to the top of his head, “That's okay.” 

“I love you so much.” Eddie settles down against Buck’s chest. 

He feels a kiss on his forehead, “I love you too.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are always appreciated! 
> 
> Tumblr- @evanbuckley-heartofgold


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